The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site is celebrating an anniversary this year.
Originally founded in 1882 as the Northwest Cattle Company, the Bar U Ranch was, at one time, one of Canada's largest ranches, where they grazed 30,000 head of cattle on 160,000 acres.
They also had 1,000 Percherons, which are a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, which is part of the former Perche province.
After WW1, the Bar U Ranch exported its Percherons to France and the UK to help contribute to the breed in Europe.
According to the Bar U Ranch Visitor Experience Manager, Christy Gustavison, while the ranch began in 1882, Indigenous people have been on the land and in the area for a long time before the ranch began.
Gustavison explains that people have been able to experience the history of Alberta ranching and the Bar U, ever since the Bar U became a historic site in 1995, after being purchased by Parks Canada in 1991.
"It's been 30 years since the public has been able to visit the site, experience the history of ranching right from 1882 through to the 1950s and the development of large-scale ranching in Western Canada," Gustavison explains.Â
To celebrate, they have been hosting special events all summer, including a plein air art event on Saturday, August 16.
At that event, they invited 30 artists to come and portray the area's landscape in their own unique style.
The pieces created at that event will be on display at the visitor centre at the Bar U Ranch until the end of the season.
Coming up, on Saturday, August 24, they have invited Sheldon Smithens from the TV show Canadian Pickers to come and talk about his experiences antiquing throughout Canada.
"And the other event that we're really looking forward to in September, on Sunday, September 21st, is the Chore Horse Competition. Another event that people mark in their calendars and look forward to every year," Gustavison says.
Gustavison says that the Friends of the Bar U Historic Association has helped to support the site in a variety of ways.
"They have a gift shop right on site and all the proceeds go back to the Friends Association, which in turn collaborates with Parks Canada on a variety of initiatives to continue to highlight the role of ranching and the history of ranching in Western Canada."
They do so by hosting events and activities, and everything from supporting different types of programming to doing restoration work at the ranch.
"It's a really great partnership and brings together the community."
The Bar U Ranch Historic Site is open daily until Tuesday, September 30.
To learn more about the Bar U Ranch, click here.